Supaul: Twenty-five people
drowned and an equal number went missing when an overcrowded
country boat capsized after being caught in a whirlpool in the
swollen Kosi river here this evening.
Local divers fished out 25 bodies, including that of
three children, from the river and were trying to trace the
missing, District Magistrate Kumar Ravi said.
The boat, ferrying 50 passengers who were going attend
a `shradh` ceremony, was caught in the whirlpool near Hari
panchayat area and sank, he said.
The local divers were being hindered by darkness and
rain in their search for the missing passengers, he said.
In Patna, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced
payment of ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh to the relatives of those
killed.
He said that a national Disaster Response Force had
rushed to the spot.
Senior officials, including the Superintendent of
Police, S Prasad, were camping at the spot to supervise the
operations.
PTI
